Food poisoning

We've all driven the porcelain bus at some time. How can you avoid food poisoning?
 
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  • Updated:1 Jun 2005
 

01.Introduction

Food-poisoning-iStock

You've most likley experienced it at some time - the nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea that are part-and-parcel of a bout of food poisoning. It's becoming more common - it's likely several million Australians get sick every year.

  • There are three golden kitchen rules to avoiding food poisoning. Keeping food at the right temperature; avoiding contaminating ready-to-eat foods with other foods; and the good ol' "when in doubt, toss it out". More
  • One in five lots of food poisoning is from food cooked at home. Some of the things you should do to keep your kitchen safe are no-brainers, but some, like taking the hard decision to leave the beer out of the party fridge might surprise you.
  • And if you're wondering if the prehistoric contents of your fridge or cupboard are safe to eat - Jamie and Nigella always seem to have something they can toss into a pan and come up with dinner - will mouldy cheddar and wilted carrots be the end of you? So can you eat it? More
  • Your supermarket also has the potential for dodgy-dom, so when you next visit, check out whether the manager needs some free advice. More
  • If you've ventured away from you favourite local cafe, how can you know whether the mezze plate is likely to be your last? Spot a dodgy cafe, and not necessarily by whether the staff wear gloves. More
  • Do you eyes glaze-over at names like Escherichia coli O157 H7 or Bacillus cereus? Food poisoning bugs 101 has your best guide to bluffing it with the boffins. More
  • What do use-by dates mean? It's illegal to sell foods after the use-by date, but not so with best-before dates. More

    • Please note: this information was current as of June 2005 but is still a useful guide today.


     
     

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